Common Dreams

About this episode

Haiti is a nation with a dramatic beginning and a disturbing secret. The world's first black republic was created by slaves who rebelled against their masters in order to create a better future for themselves and their descendents. But 200 years later, that promise of freedom still eludes many Haitian children, who are today living in a form of abuse and exploitation known as restavek. A French word meaning to stay with, restavek began with noble intentions to educate children from rural villages. Unfortunately, many restavek children today are forced to work long hours in other people's homes, cooking, cleaning dishes, doing laundry and fetching water. Worse yet, many of these children are not even allowed to go to school. Actor and Grammy-winning artist Common travels to Haiti to see this hardened practice rooted deep within the culture. He learns of the noble premise on which the system began and comes to understand how a devastating earthquake and decades of despotic rule have eroded the restavek ideal. Common meets the children, their 'guardians' and a team of dedicated people determined to change cultural perceptions and provide them with a better life. In the process, his team helps convince a family to give a little girl what she so desperately wants: the chance to go to school and dream of a better future.

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